A Charity Fundraiser took 5 months out from her job to work with poor, homeless, and deprived children in Kenya, Mexico, and Thailand.

Lisa Helmsley, who works for a children’s charity as a fundraiser in the U.K managed to get 5 months off from her job in 2009, and spent much of the time volunteering abroad, and working with children.

Lisa spent April volunteering at a Street Kids project in Mombassa in Kenya, June preparing food, and looking after children and babies at Orphanages in Mexico, and July teaching English at a school in Thailand. In between she managed to travel around the Countries that she was volunteering in.

She really enjoyed the experience of working with the children, and felt that her time spent in 3 different countries had helped her to learn a great deal about their cultures, and communities.

She felt that the experience that she had from her work in the U.K was a great help, but added that she had learnt a lot while caring for children from other cultures as well.

She described the local people that she met in each country as ‘just fantastic’, and said that she would love to volunteer again one day. In fact Lisa had previously volunteered with Original Volunteers before in Peru some 3 years ago, and it was this experience that made her decide to volunteer with us again.
She added that she has recommended Original Volunteers to many of her friends and work colleagues.

Lisa has now settled back into her work, and life in the U.K, and we wish her well with her fundraising activities in 2010.
If you are considering taking a break from your working life, and have an understanding employer who would be prepared to let you do so why not contact us on 0800 345 75 82. It could prove to be a life changing experience.

A Lifeguard from Swindon who thought that Mexico might potentially be a ‘rough’ place to volunteer in said that the people of Mexico were ‘the nicest people that I have ever met’.

Jason Wines volunteered at an Orphanage in Puerto Vallarta in Mexico between June and August 2009. He spent his time there playing Football, creating Arts and Crafts, and preparing food for the children, and made a lot of new friends that he has kept in touch with. He added that he had an ‘amazing time’ doing voluntary work in Mexico.

However, it was the friendliness of the Mexican people that most surprised him.
He said that they really wanted to ask him about his life, and that everywhere that he traveled in the country, even in the jungle regions, people were all very friendly, and welcoming towards him.

He said that he was a fairly confident, and motivated person before he went to Mexico, but that the experience he had volunteering abroad has helped to make him even more confident, and that he would love to return to Mexico again, or to take part in another project in Ghana or Kenya.

Jason felt that during his time in Mexico he had formed a bond with the people that he met, and that it was hard to say goodbye to them.

He has recommended the experience to lots of people, including his hairdresser, and has put lots of photographs, and videos up on his Facebook site.

He praised the work of Original volunteers, and said that he found our website easy to search through, and was impressed that we had a free phone number.

He felt that his time in Mexico has helped him to appreciate life, and what he has got a little bit more, and said that with the money he saved by volunteering with us he was able to buy presents for the children at the Orphanage when he left.

We are pleased to hear Jason’ s story of how friendly the people of Mexico were towards him, and feel that you too may well be surprised to discover just how warm, and welcoming the local people will be towards you too when you choose to volunteer.
Why not call us on 0800 345 75 82 and we can advise you on where to volunteer abroad, what projects you can get involved in, and the sort of welcome you can expect to receive from the people that you will encounter during your time spent volunteering.